Pleating



A. MOD. HESS Oct. 27, 1953 PLEATING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 26, 1950 -lfijiill V INVENTOR. ALEXANDER MCDONALD HESS ATTORNEY.

Oct. 27, 1953 A. M D. HESS 2,656,886

PLEATING Filed Dec. 26, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. ALEXANDER MCDONALD HESS ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PLEATING Alexander McDonald Hess, New York, N. Y. Application December 26, 1950, Serial No. 202,778

5 Claims. 1

This invention relates to pleating strips or tapes adapted for attachment to draperies, curtains and the like and more particularly to means associated therewith for securing the collected pleats together.

Ordinarily, it has been necessary, in order to obtain a professional touch to the draperies, and provide a display of the triple or French pinch pleat upon the front of the curtain or drapery, to sew the forward portions of the pleats together at a point below their upper ends and such that they would flare outwardly up from the location of the sewing thereby to give the much desired appearance. This sewing necessarily had to take place through the several thicknesses of the curtain material forming the pleats and at times when the curtain or draperies were to be cleaned there was required a tedious drawing of the threads and after the cleaning a second sewing operation. costly in that professional decorators were required to do the job in order that the desired touch would be obtained.

It is an object of the present invention to pro vide a pleating strip or tape which will have a detachable device for the connecting of pleats in triplicate and in pinched fashion so as to give the desired French or triple pinched pleat effect the same as was had by the ordinary sewing of the pleats whereby at times when it desired to elfect a cleaning or ironing operation upon the drapery or curtain there is no necessity that threads be pulled and the pleats be refashioned and sewed when again hanging the curtains.

It is another object of the invention to provide a detaching device for securing the pleats together which is preferably, but not necessarily, an integral part oi the pleating material thereby eliminating the necessity for providing further ma terial than that which is already provided in the pleating strip itself.

According to the present invention the pleating strip or tape made from buckram or similar stiffening material has a series of impressions or the like at spaced locations throughout the length of the strip so as to give to the curtain a series of triple pleating formations. The pleating strip further has formations of a detachable nature and located adjacent one side of the pleats and adapted to extend through or over rear portion of the pleats to the opposite side thereof and retain the pleats ina collected condition such that the extension of the curtairrhas the desired pinched or flared appearance. In some forms of the invention the detachable strap All this required time and was often 5 isprovided by striking the same out from the pleating material and providing on its free end either a locking shoulder or tacky material such that it can be fastened to the opposite side of the pleats and made of such length that when fastened the pleats will be held in pinched fashion. In the case that the locking shoulder on the free end of the attaching strap is used slots are provided in the strip through which the attaching strap will be extended upon making connection with the pleats. These holes may be separate from the rod holes or slots or the attach-- ing strip may be connected through holes in the pleats which contain the rods.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view looking upon the top edge of a drapery from the rear thereof and upon a pleating header strip constructed according to one form of the invention; Fig. 2 is an en larged rear view of the same drapery or curtain shown in Fig. 1 assembled upon a rod showing,

the pleats bein brought together at one portion of the figure and at the other portion of the figure showing the assembled pleat with the catch or looking strap passed through them to retain them in pinched fashion; Fig. 3 is a rear View of a curtain looking upon a header strip of slightly different construction in that the rod is permitted to pass through a hole in the tape at each pleat but having the same attaching strap as shown in Figs. 1 and 2; Fig. 4 is a rear view of a curtain having a pleating strip of a type where the rod passes through the orifices in the tape at the rear ends of the pleats but where the attaching tab is of a construction such that its attaching surface has a tacky substance adapted to engage over and around the pleats to finally retain them; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view looking upon the rear of a pleating strip also of the type where the rod passes through the orifices in the tape at the rear folds of the pleats and showing a double headed connecting strap for retaining the rear folds of.

the pleats and which is passed through the same slots that retain the rod; Fig. 6 is a rear view showing also the rear of a curtain and a pleating strip where the rod passes through the orifices in the tape at the rear folds of the pleats but witha retaining tab which is struck out from the pleating strip ate location such that it will pass through the pleat slots with the rod. V

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 there is shown the top of a curtain 2| with a pleating strip 22 of buckram or other stiff material secured thereto by three rows of stitching 23. This pleating strip may be sold separately from the curtain and sewed on the curtain by the housewife. The curtain or drapery may be of paper or like material and in which case the pleating strip could be attached to the curtain by gluing.

In this pleating strip there is provided several series of impressions 2.4 at different intervals along the length of the pleating strip and in such places where it is desired to have triple or French pinched pleats upon the drapery or ourtain. These impressions are formed either by a surface cut, as by slitting or slotting, or by the material being pre-creased. These impressions 24 need only extend for their greater part throughout part of the heighth of the top portion and in the region of a rod 25 which extends through slots 21 and 28 located respectively at opposite sides of each series of impressions so that the rod in passing through the slots permits the pleating of the strip and drapery in front of the rod. Beneath the slot 21 and at one side of the several pleats 26 which are formed by them along the impressions, there is struck from the pleating strip a latch or attaching device or strap 29 having locking shoulders 3| thereon and a pointed head 32 to facilitate its threading engagement with aligned slots 33 made for the purpose in the rear folds 34 of the tape 22. At the time of the insertion of the device 29 while the several pleats 26 are collected together, the lock" ingstrap 29 is of such length that upon beingapplied through the slots 33 and its shoulders 3! retained at the opposite sides of the collected pleats will hold them when the pleats are gathered and pinched at points removed from the top edge of the curtain, Fig. 2, and below the rod whereby to give the desired pinched pleat effect with the upper ends of the pleats flared laterally. The shoulders 3| lock with the slot edges to the right of the folded pleats. At times when it is desired to remove the pleats and flatten the top of the curtain the locking shoulders 3| are bent so as to be aligned with the larger dimension of the slot which is at the center thereof and slipped out of the slots. All the while that the locking shoulders 31 were in their retaining position the shoulders were aligned with the smaller portions of the slot. To obtain this eiTect the slots 33 have been made of slightly oval shape.

Referring now to Fig. 3 it will be noted that instead of two large slots at opposite ends of the series of impressions there is provided pairs of large slots 31 located on line with the pleating impressions so that the rod will pass through the tape 22 and that the pleats will be given support upon the rod thereby to prevent them from drooping. The connecting strap 29 is of the same formation as described in connection with the preceding form of the invention, and the securement of the strap is made through the slots 33. Referring now to Fig. 4 a slightly different form of strap 38 is used. The strap 38 is located at a position where it will be one side'of the collected-pleats '26. It is struck out from the body of the pleating strip. No slots are needed for the extension of the strap through thepleats, it is simply wrapped over the rearward ends of the pleat and stuck to the body of the strip at the opposite side of the pleats by a tacky substance.

Referring now to Fig. a strap 39 is struck out from the body of the pleating strip, appropriate scoring or other provision having been made to facilitate its easy removal of the strap from the 4 strip. The strap 39 has two locking heads 4| and 42 located respectively at its opposite ends thereof and at times when it is desired to secure the collected pleats is removed from the body of the strip and inserted through pairs of slots 31 along with the curtain rod 25. The strap 39 thereby serves as a tie acting within the rod slots when its shoulders 43 are engaged with the edges of the side slots.

Of course, the strap 39 :may be formed of material taken from the body of the pleating strip or from other similar or dissimilar material even metal or plastic.

In Fig. 6, the pleating strip has the usual pair of rod slots 31 located in transverse alignment with the pleat impressions 24. In connection with one of the slots 31 there is formed integral with the strip and adapted to extend across the one slot and into the body of the strip a locking strap 45 having a locking head 46 adapted to thread through the rod slots when severed from the strip and connected with the folded pleats 26 at the opposite side thereof whereby to retain the pleats in their folded condition. This locking strap will have a length such that the pleats will be retained tightly adjacent the rear folds thereof and in the region of the slots 31.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided a pleating strip with an easy detachable device adapted to be connected about the collected or folded pleats of the curtain or strip to retain them in a pinched condition thereby to give to the folded pleats the professional touch which is had when they are secured by sewing and yet at the same time have the fastening means detachable to permit the flattening of the curtain and pleating strip at times of cleaning and ironing the drapery or curtain.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the ap-. pended claims.

This application is, in effect, a substitute for application Serial No. 669,915, filed May 14, 1946, now Patent No. 2,527,360, dated October 24, 1950, granted to me as to certain matter shown and described but not claimed in said application.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 7

1. A pleating strip adapted for attachment to a drapery, curtain or the like and having impressions therein suitable for forming a plurality of pleats on the forward face of the drapery, said strip formed with slots positioned to occur one on a side of each completed set of a plurality of pleats, straps, each formed integral with the pleating strip and each formed with retaining shoulders, said straps inserted, one in each of said slots and retaining the pleats.

2. A-pleating strip adapted for attachment to a drapery, curtain or the like and having impressions therein suitable for forming a plurality of pleats on the forward face of the drapery, said strip formed with slots positioned to occur one on either side of a completed set of a plurality of pleats, and one at each of the inner ends of the intermediate pleats of the plurality of pleats, straps formed in and of the strip, each formed with looking shoulders, one at each end, said straps inserted in said slots and retaining the inner ends of the pleats from falling forward and the plurality from separating.

3. A pleating strip adapted for attachment to a drapery and having impressions therein suitable for forming a plurality of pleats on the forward face of the drapery, said strip formed with a slot positioned to occur on one side of a completed set of a plurality of pleats, straps, each integral with the said strip and each formed with a retaining shoulder at one end, one of said straps extending across each of the several pleat formations at the rear of the drapery for retaining them in pinched fashion, the end of the strap provided With a retaining shoulder being inserted in one of said slots and means for retaining the other end of the strap.

4. A. pleating strip as defined in claim 3 wherein the layer portions of the pleats, when in their folded positions, have slots laterally aligned to receive and permit the extension therethrough of the strap for connection with the pleating strip at opposite sides of the pleats thereby to retain them in their collected and pinched form.

5. A pleating strip as defined in claim 3 Wherein the strap is integral with and struck out from the body of the pleating strip itself at a location adjacent to one side and having suificient length to extend across the pleats and connect with the pleating strip at the opposite side of the collected pleats thereby to retain the pleats in their folded and pinched condition.

ALEXANDER MCDONALD HESS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,062,851 Radclifi May 27, 1918 1,822,912 Swanstrom Sept. 15, 1931 2,133,069 Williamson Oct. 11, 1938 2,527,360 Hess Oct. 24, 1950 2 599,429 Bernhard June 3, 1952 

